i spent 3 years doing an unpaid apprenticeship on a tiny research farm in northern california.so now i like to teach how to do Biointensive farming and gardening. i've been teaching at the elementary school, local community gardens, and a local garden center/education center that is associated with the farm where i worked. all volunteer work, except some classes at the education center.

very enjoyable and gratifying to see the young kids, and adults too, get excited and inspired, to make a difference in their families and communities by growing healthy and safe food. to help them understand the importance of recycling and composting, and to see them learn what they can do through their own efforts, it is a pleasure to be a part of.

Spend a lot of my time working with the local Disabled American Veterans chapter as an officer and volunteer to help all my fellow veterans and I also enjoy my military items and my fishin but I also enjoy my mliltary history as the sacrifices of our veterans should not be forgotten. I am also learning to and enjoying the difficult tasks involved in getting these great instruments back into playing condition again.

At one stage, I charged around the NZ bush looking for broken aircraft from years ago which was great fun, but as we settle down here, I have taken my croquet playing more seriously and am endeavouring to lower my handicap into single figures. It's a great game which I started playing 4 years ago in NZ....

I don't hunt anymore as my rifles and guns are still in NZ and I'm going through the process of getting my Queensland firearms ticket.

_________________FWIW, an after market esoteric nut is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist, and a great way to convert your money into someone else’s.

Plants are my main passion, although not the same as Westbone grows (nice specimen, btw - I hope its in your back garden!)

I am a garden designer with a particular interest in 'exotic' garden style - my garden (above) is my hobby, shop window and trial ground. I have also started 'plant hunting' over the last few years, generally in Mexico as cacti and succulent plants are where my interest lies.

I have written these up ( link here ) as illustrated travelogues. A bit plant heavy but nice scenery, local colour etc.

I have a guitar on Ebay right now at a buy it now price. I have almost 50 watchers. It is, repeat, a buy it now price. Why are they watching? It is not going to suddenly change into an original '59 Les Paul for a few hundred quid! No, it is going to be exactly the same the next time they look or it won't be there any more. I wonder which option will give them the most pleasure?

So I conclude that there is a new collecting hobby whereby you look at listings on Ebay and then add them to your watch list.

The other new hobby appears to be, submit lowball offers,eventually win the item, and then extract your revenge by trying to blackmail for a partial refund for an item which is as described.

hoax wrote:The other new hobby appears to be, submit lowball offers,eventually win the item, and then extract your revenge by trying to blackmail for a partial refund for an item which is as described.Hoax

One sale last week when the guy won a buy it now. He then contacted me to say "before I pay can I ask some questions?"

He asks me if he can send a courier - probably so he can save £5 or so. I say no as I can't wait in all day.

I answered the questions and he paid after being reminded. He got the item (I even upgraded postage to 24 hour at no extra cost) and then said that he was sending it back as it wasn't quite what he expected. He did suggest, however, that I might want to "come to some arrangement?"

So I told him to send it back and its back on the Bay again!!

This is a guy, I have since discovered, uses at least 2 Ebay names and regularly buys his own items. I wonder why - Not?

I have a guitar on Ebay right now at a buy it now price. I have almost 50 watchers. It is, repeat, a buy it now price. Why are they watching? It is not going to suddenly change into an original '59 Les Paul for a few hundred quid! No, it is going to be exactly the same the next time they look or it won't be there any more. I wonder which option will give them the most pleasure?

So I conclude that there is a new collecting hobby whereby you look at listings on Ebay and then add them to your watch list.

The other new hobby appears to be, submit lowball offers,eventually win the item, and then extract your revenge by trying to blackmail for a partial refund for an item which is as described.

Westbone wrote:I've watched items with a fixed price while pondering whether to buy or not. Perfectly normal.Some I havn't bought but forget to delete from the list.

As for the rest of your problem, welcome to ebay world!

Sold a 'Fender' to a Scotsman, clearly stating it had a added decal.He sent it back saying 'it's not a Fender'. It was a Squier actually.

Anyway it then sold for a lot more.

That's ebay.

You are absolutely right of course Damian but it does give me the opportunity of a good old moan. I mean 50 watchers and no biters? Even if they made contact for a bit of a haggle, then I could cut Ebay out of the loop!!